Little Falls transcript. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1876-1894, 1887-06-17
hands, and rolling up the yellow
white OF her African eyeballs in pite-

willie ID IGE tAiEAC1A ~ SD1s1AAS ~ paw
i Gus fashion. .. s T. & s55 T
OF dis var week. honey she an
swered. plaintively; mot for De Queen
an all de royal chilluns. No; ner
next week, neider. Don't knows as
I'll eber wash agin, honey" with a
nournful croak in her voice. ~
Roxy's countenance fell. But,
Kinda, she pleaded, "Aunt Sally isn't
able to wash; and besides, she has
/ found a. whole thlcket of witch-hazel
somewhere up the creek, and she
won't sleep night or day until she
! gets the roots all dug and scraped,
and the bark stripped off and put
sleeping in alcohol. Hind" with a
sudden inspiration-"do you think I
could do the washing?"
"You, Miss Roxy-oh, git out -
But, Kinda, somebody must
wash"
cit amt no work for a young lady,
Miss Roxy" aaid Kinda, decisively.
"Everything is work for a young
lady," pleaded Roxy, "if it has got to
be done"
Kinda shook her head. "Yo'll
break yo' back, honey, an parboil
yo' hands an"
"Oh, don't mind all that, Kinda,
If only Aunt Sally would think the
clothes looked decent" urged Roxy.
"Tell me how to do it, Hinda- there's
a darling"
"We]l, honey, 20 put de clothes
asoak de night asore," unwilling began
Kinda, Gin plenty o. bar soap sliced
up thin; an yo' bile 'em well, an yo'
doan forgit de bluein,' an mind yo'
doan git de starch too stiff, an be
suah yo' rensh de clothes right smart,
an'-oh! oh! dar goes de pain in my
! po' ole bones agin, jes for all de world
like crooked lightnin'."
So Roxy returned home not much
wiser than she went. "I'd give all my
algebra and geometry" sighed she, IF
only I knew how to wash"
Joy OF joys! as she went past Squire
| Honeywelps big cream-colored house
she saw colony of white garments,
veritable flags of truce to her, troub-
led mind, f1uttering in the wind from, a.
line, in the back garden.
''rhey're washing, said Roxy to her.
self, with a Frightening face "Now's
the time for me to 90 in and see how
it is done"
She slipped insinuatingly in at the
open kitchen door, whence a cloud of
white steam hoated forth. "Good
morning, Docia," she said to Miss
Theodocia Honeywell, the Squire's
daughter. t'Do You suppose your
grandmother would like a jar of my
wild plums? They're a nice color,
and keep their flavor beautifully.
| No, don't stop your work" as Miss
Theodocia paused courteously, and
began to wipe her soapy arms on
roller-towel); 'go on, just as if |
wasn't here.'
! And she eagerly settled herself to
take note OF the stout young woman's
every motion. But Miss Theodocia's
ideas OF politeness were gree deal too
we'll defined to allow her to spend her
time in washing when there was
company.
| "Iou're very kind, I'm sure" said
she, 'but the clothes can wait I dare
say granny would relish the plums land
anyhow we've a city boarder this
month, an artist young gentleman,
and any little luxury comes in handy
for the table"
Gan artist?' wistfully repeated
Roxy.
"Yes,' nodded Docia. "Such pict-
ures as he paints with q squeeze or
two out Of his color-tubs, and a dab
OF his brushes! ! declare it seems
like magic. You paint. too, Roxy
Stevens, don't you?.' "A little," CON
fessed Roxy, thinking gu;ltily Of the
peach-blossom plaques and the panels
! covered with abortive attemps at
autumn leaves that she had spoiled.
"But painting is no use, Docia. For
a woman, I mean. I'd deal rather
| know how tO-wash.'
Docia Honeywell burst out laughing.
"What odd things you do say, Roxy"
! cried she. ':But when it comes to
painting being no use, just wish you
could see the little bits OF canvas and
mill-board that our Mr. Jefferys gets
g. hundred and fifty dollars for 4
| nd-ffty-dollars: Going,
are you" since the business OF
washing was temporarily suspended,
! poor Roxy's purpose was blighted.
well, Pm sure it was very kind
OF you to think of the preserved plums,
and we'll be very thankful for them,
especially since mas citron all mould
ed, and the blackberries fermented,
and blew the tops off the cans and
broke the cellar windows. And, Roxy,
If III stop in some afternoon will you
! show me that new crochet stitch?-
| the one in shells and waves, you know,
like Mrs. Deacon Dodd's shawl"
Roxy promised that she would, and
set forth. wondering to herself why it
was that she lacked the moral courage
to ask Docia for instruction in my
mysteries OF the wash-tub just as
! frankly as Docia had requested her
assistance in unravelling the perplexi-
| ties OF the new crochet stitch
! II think must be dreadful goose"
sighed Roxy. "But, all the same, that
washing has got to be done, whether
vel! or i'll. It can't be worse than
those algebra problems in the second
book. AS and y equals q, SO must
soap, water. and plenty OF sunshine
equal clean clothes"
| And so the next morning, when
Aunt Sally had eaten the ham and
eggs which Roxy had now learned to
fry in SO appetizing a manner, and
drunk the coffee which was as clear
as any amber. she set fourth on her
daily task of root and herb hunting,
and Roxy carried the basket OF clothes
| out to the shore of the brook, where
q mighty old chestnut tree spread it's
dome Of shade, washed and wrung and
rinsed them until it was a mercy that
there were any two threads left to-
gether. Then she hung them out on
the lines, which she had stretched
from tree to tree, skewering each art
icle safely in its place with wooden
| pins, so that no frolicsome wind